Material handling device for information analyzing machines



April 6, 1965 A. R. ZAICHICK 3,177,009

MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE FOR INFORMATION ANALYZING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 7, 1962 M M W m m l E a V 9 Z W 3 9w m m a w h m a vm &. "H M m Al x w NI 1 I HU & QR Q\ mm w 8 Ezzsum K .65 w :11 w l mu NR IY E flaw m a WM. .QN QN wzfiifim v wO OPm 9 g E E i & b I

April 6, 1965 A. R. ZAICHICK MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE FOR INFORMATION ANALYZING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 7, 1962 Abraham R Zaich/ck 1N VENTOR.

BY QM WW April 6, 1965 A. R. ZAICHICK 3,177,009

MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE FOR INFORMATION ANALYZING MACHINES Filed Aug. 7, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 4

Abraham R. Za/ch/ck 4 INVENTOR.

April 6, 1965 I A. R. ZAICHICK 3,177,009

MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE FOR INFORMATION ANALYZING MACHINES Filed Aug. 7, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 V Abraham R. Za/bh/bk 1 N VE N TOR United States Patent Ofiice Blfifidil Patented Apr. 6, 1965 3,177,009 MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE FQR INFGRMA- THIN ANALYZING MACHINES Abraham R. Zaichich, 345 SW. 25th Road, Miami, Fla. Filed Aug. 7, 1962, Ser. No. 215,309 6 (Dianne. (Cl. 281-4) This invention relates to automatic material handling, apparatus particularly useful for machines which analyze written intelligence such as handwriting, signatures, etc.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a sample receiving and dispatching mechanism particularly useful in connection with coin controlled operation of the aforesaid type of machines. 7

An additional object of the present invention is to pro vide apparatus automatically operative upon deposit of proper coinage to expose recording medium upon which entries may be made. After the entry has been made, automatic dispensing of the exposed recording medium is effected only by manual closing of a closure member which was automatically opened to expose the recording medium.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in whichr *FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the system with which the apparatus of the present invention may be associated.

FIGURE 2 is a partial top sectional view with parts broken away of the sample receiving and dispatching mechanism of the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 3-3 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a partial top sectional view similar to FIGURE 2, illustrating the sample receiving and dispatching mechanism in another operative condition.

FIGURE 5 is a partial sectional view taken substantiaily through a plane indicated by section line 5$ in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 6-6 in FIGURE 4. I

FIGURE 7 is a partial perspective view with parts broken away of the sample receiving and dispatching mechanism.

FIGURE 8 is a control circuit diagram associated with the mechanism illustrated in FIGURES 2 through 7.

FIGURE 9 is a partial side sectional view of a modified form of the sample receiving and dispatching mechan1sm.-

FIGURE 10 is a simplified perspective view of the operating parts of the modified form of sample receiving and dispatching mechanism illustrated in FIGURE 9.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, attention is initially invited toward FIGURE 1, diagrammatically illustrating one form of installational environment with which the present invention may be associated. Stored within the machine which may embody the apparatus of the present invention, is a recording medium storage generally referred to by reference numeral 1%}. The recording medium stored within the storage component Ill may be in the form of plastic signature cards 12 adapted to receive a saint-1e of a persons signature or handwriting for analyzing purposes. A signature card 12 is therefore dispatched from the storage component 10 to a'sample receiving station upon deposit of the reouisite coinage within a coin controlled starting mechanism as will be further explained hereafter.

The machine with which the present invention may be associated is provided with a conveyor 45 for carrying the cards 12 so that they may undergo a series of operations. The sample signature card is transferred from the storage in to a coin controlled sample receiving and dispatching mechanism generally referred to by reference numeral 6%, from which the sample signature card 12 is deposited onto the conveyor belt 46. The conveyor belt id is entrained about roller devices 62, 64, 66, 6%, drive roller 79, rollers 72 and 74. The drive roller 79 is drivingly connected to the intermediated drive rollers 76 which in turn is belt connected to a prime mover or motor 78 for imparting continuous movement to the conveyor belt as. There is also provided a card transfer conveyor belt 8% that extends in close parallel relation to the conveyor belt 46 between the rollers 64, 66, 68 and 82. The conveyor belt departs from the conveyor belt 46 however by being entrained about the rollers 84 and 86 hen returning into close spaced relationship to the belt 46 at the roller 64. The card 12 is thereby transferred from the lower run of the conveyor belt 46 upwardly to an upper run thereof and then downwardly from the roller 68 to the roller 32 from which it is fed between upper an lower rollers $8 and 9%) past the various sample analyzing stations including the pattern sensing stations and 24, the sample display station 38 during which time the sample signature is projected onto the screen device 4d. After being displayed on the screen device, the signature card is delivered to the stapling station 36 to which the printed cards 32 are also supplied from the storage 3 through the information selecting punch device 3% Referring now to FIGURES 2 through 7, it will be observed that thecontinuously moving sample card conveyor 46 moves through the sample receiving and dispatching mechanism an enclosed within any suitable enclosure frame 92 to which a supporting partition 94 is connected for supporting the conveyor belt 46 thereabove. The enclosing housing frame 92 is provided with a window opening 96 through which the sample signature card 12 may be exposed for receiving the signature of a person. A selectively operated arcuate closure member is therefore provided so as to expose or enclose the signature card when it is in a sample receiving position as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3. Accordingly, the member 98 is slidably mounted within the opening $6 in a vertical direction and is provided with rearwardly projecting rack teeth 1% and 1&2 which mesh with the pinions we and 1% respectively, said pinions being keyed to the drive shaft 168 journaled by the brackets Iii and 112 on the housing i2. One end of the drive shaft opposite the pinion 1% is provided with a rack pinion 114 which meshes with a vertically slidable resettable rack lie, the lower end of which is provided with a cam follower member 118. It will therefore be appreciated, that upward slidaole movement of the rack follower H6, will upwardly displace the sample exposing member 93 so that the sample card 12 mounted Within the sample displacing device 12% may be exposed through the opening 96 above the supporting plate member 94. Also, associated with the pinion 1% secured to one axial end of the drive shaft 1%, through which control over the sample exposing member 93 is exercised, is a pinion locking plunger I22 operatively controlled by the coin controlled mechanism 16 also mounted within the housing 92 on a side of the member 98 opposite the rack follower device 116. The coin controlled mechanism 16 is thereby operative to release the pinion 106 so that the machine may be set into operation as hereinbefore indi: cated.

The signature card displacing device 128 is rotatably mounted above the supporting plate 94 by means of the shaft 124 to which the rack pinion gear 126 is connected below the supporting plate member. Accordingly, the card displacing device 120 is angularly displaced by 180 etween' the sample receiving position illustrated in FIGURE 2 and the sample transferring position illustrated in FIGURE 4 upon slidable displacement of a rack member 128 which meshes with the rack pinion gear 126. Suitable slide brackets 130 are therefore mounted on the supporting plate member 94 for slidably receiving the rack gear member 128, one end of which is provided with a cam follower projection 132 for cooperation with a cam assembly generally referred to by reference numeral 134.

The cam assembly 134 is rotatably mounted by the housing 92 for rotation about a horizontal axis disposed perpendicular to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt 46. The cam assembly includes a pair of axially spaced cam members 136 and 138 respectively keyed to a common shaft with a drive sprocket gear 14h. The sprocket gear 140 therefore has entrained thereabout a sprocket chain 142 which is also entrained about an idler sprocket 144 rotatably mounted below the supporting plate 94 and an input sprocket gear 146 connected to the motor shaft 148 of motor 156 as more clearly seen in FIGURE 7. Thus, upon energization of the motor 150, continuous rotation is imparted to the cam assembly 134. The cam member 136 is provided with a radial cam surface which includes the cam surface portion 152 arranged to upwardly displace the rack follower member 116 by engagement with the follower element 118 after the cam has been angularly displaced by a relatively small distance from an initial position of the cam assembly. The rack follower member 116 may then be manually lowered to the dwell surface portion 154 of the radial cam surface by manually lowering the member 98 from the position illustrated in FIGURE 3. Thereafter, slidable displacement is imparted to the rack member 128 by means of the cam groove 156 on the cam member 136 so as to angularly displace the card displacing device 120 by 180. Following this latter angular displacement of the signature card from the sample receiving position to the sample transfer position illustrated in FIGURE 4, slidable displacement is imparted to the rack follower member 158 by means of the cam groove 160 mounted on the cam member 138, said cam groove 160 receiving the follower projection 162 mounted at one end of the rack gear member 158.

The card carried by the displacing device 120 to the sample transfer position, is displaced from the exposed holder slot 164 in the card displacing device 120 by means of another card being pushed into the holder slot 164 from the card storage component 10. Accordingly, the card storage component is a vertically elongated container fixedly secured to the housing 92 and disposed in adjacent side relation to the card holder slot 164 when the card displacing device 120 is in the sample transfer position illustrated in FIGURE 4. The lower end of the storage container 10 is therefore provided with an outlet slot 166 aligned with the holder slot 164 so that a card 12 may be transferred Lherebetween as illustrated in FIGURE 6. For the purpose of displacing a card from the storage container, the side opposite the slot 166 is provided with an ejector receiving slot 168 adapted to slidably receive therethrough, an ejector member. 170. The ejector member 170 is therefore connected by means of a laterally projecting arm portion 172 to a rack member 174 which meshes with a rack pinion 176 secured to the shaft 178 journaled by the housing 92. Also connected to the shaft 178, is a rack pinion 180 which meshes with the rack teeth on the rack follower member 158. In this manner, continued rotation of the cam assembly 134 after the signature card has been displaced to the sample transfer position by means of the displacing 4 device 12h, may impart motion to the ejector member 179 so as to replace the signature containing card from the holder slot 164 by a new signature card from the storage container, the sample containing signature card then being deposited or dispensed onto the moving conveyor belt for transfer to the next operating station of the machine. After the sample containing card has been so dispatched and replaced Within the card displacing device 12 5, the ejector member 178 will be retracted by means of continued rotation of the cam assembly since the cam follower rack member 158 is engaged within the cam groove 160 thereof. Continued rotation of the cam assembly will then cause slidable displacement of the rack member 128 so as to angularly displace and return the card displacing device to the sample receiving position in preparation for a new cycle of operations.

Referring now to FIGURE 8 in particular, the control 7 circuit associated with the coin controlled mechanism 16 is diagrammatically illustrated. It will be observed therefore, that initially, the locking plunger device 122 is received Within a locking aperture 182 so as to hold the pinion gear 1% in an initial position and the card exposing member 98 in a closed position since it is geared to the pinion 166. In this position, a microswitch 184 will be held in a closed position by means of the switch actuator projection 136 on the locking plunger 122. When a coin is deposited within the coin mechanism slot 188, the switch device 198 is momentarily closed so as to establish a solenoid energizing circuit between the powerlines 192 and 194 connected to a suitable source of electrical energy. Upon energization of the solenoid 196, the locking plunger 122 is withdrawn from the locking aperture 182 against the bias of the spring 2-89 thereby closing the switch device 262 and opening the switch device 184. Accordingly, a circuit is then established from the power line 192, the switch 202 and the conductor 284 to the motor 158 for energization thereof. The cam assembly 134 is therefore angularly displaced by an amount sufiicient to raise the follower rack memher 116 and the card exposing member 98 to the position illustrated in FIGURE 3 at which time the energizing circuit previously established through the solenoid 196 is opened. The plunger 120 will then be biased into a position with the switch actuating projection 186 disposed between the switches 134 and 202 since the locking aperture 132 will no longer be aligned with the locking plunger. Accordingly, with both switches 184 and 202 open, the motor will be deenergized. It will also be noted, that in view of the angular displacement of the motor 150 from its initial position, the cycle switch 268 will be closed. After the customer has entered a sample of handwriting on the signature card 12, the card exposing member 93 is manually returned to the closed position lowering the cam follower element 118 into Contact with the dwell portion 154 of the cam member 136 and at the same time causing the pinion 106 to return to 1ts initial position bringing the aperture 182 into alignment with the locking plunger 122. The plunger 122 will therefore enter the aperture under the bias of the spring 200 so as to again lock the closure member 98 in closed position and close the microswitch 184 completing a circuit through the motor 150 in view of the closed condition of the cycle switch 298. The motor 150 will again be energized so as to continue rotation of the cam assembly 134 without displacement of the cam follower 16 until a cycle of operations is completed whereupon the switch 208 is opened causing deenergization of the motor 150 at its initial position. It will also be noted, that when the motor is initially energized for opening the closure member, the solenoid 196 is simultaneously energized so as to hold the plunger 122 in retracted position in order to hold switch 262 closed and motor 150 energized. After the plunger 122 relocks the closure member, it is operative to cause release of the coin and the switch device 198 so that the solenoid 196 will be I 5 held deenergized for locking the pinion 1&5 until the cycle of operations has been completed.

Referring now to FIGURES 9 and 10, a modified form of signature receiving and dispatching mechanism is shown. In this form of mechanism, control over the signature exposing member 98 is accomplished in the same way as described with respect to the mechanism 60 by means of a cam assembly 210. However, instead of utilizing precut cards, acontinuous sheet of material 212 is fed from a spool storage of any suitable type (not shown) by means of the feeding rollers 214 geared to a feed controlling pinion 216 which meshes with a feed controlling rack follower 218 slidably displaced in proper phase by means of the cam assembly 210 in a manner similar to the displacement of the rack follower member 128 as described with respect to the mechanism 6t Accordingly, the continuous sheet of material 212 is drawn beneath an exposing opening 224) so that when tl e material is stopped, and the device 93 automatically raised upon deposit of a coin as hereinbefore described with respect to FIGURE 8, a person may enter ones signature on the exposed portion of the continuous sheet 212. Thereafter, upon closing of the member 98, the cam assembly Zltl will resume rotation as described with respect to the cam assembly 134- of mechanism 6% in order to displace the sample containing portion of the material 212 to a sample transfer position shown by dotted lines above the conveyor belt 46 in FIGURE 9. Thereafter, the rack follower member 224 is displaced by means of the cam assembly 216 in a manner similar to that described with respect to the follower member 158 of mechanism 6%) so as to actuate a cutter actuating mechanism 226 causing the cutter blade 223 to sever or cut the material 212 for deposit of the sample written thereon onto the conveyor belt 46. Thereafter, the knife blade 228 is retracted followed by retraction of the rack gear member 218 which reverses rotation of the pinion 216 drivingly connected to the feeding rollers 214. A one-way clutch mechanism 239 may therefore be provided so as to prevent reverse rotation of the feeding rollers. The modified form of sample receiving and dispatching mechanism is thereby ready for a new cycle of operations. This latter form of mechanism has the advantage over the previously described form in that it may store a larger quantity of recording medium and does not require any precutting of the signature cards which would be the case with respect to the mechanism 60.

From the foregoing description, the operation and utility of the apparatus of the present invention will be apparent. It will therefore be recalled that initiation of the apparatus will occur upon deposit of the correct coinage within the coin controlled starting mechanism 16 causing the sample recording medium to be exposed by automatic raising of the exposing window member 93 to expose the recording medium in the form of a plastic card that has been precut or a portion of a continuous sheet of material to be subsequently cut. After signing ones name with an electrographic pencil, the member Q8 may be manually lowered to thereby cause operation to resume. Thus, the material handling apparatus will be useful in combination with a material storage component.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principes of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, fallin within the scope of the invention as claimed. I

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a coin controlled mechanism for handling recording material, the combination of a continuously moving conveyor, a dispensing device operatively positioned relative to the conveyor for depositing discrete portions ofsaid recording material onto the conveyor, storage means from which the recording material is withdrawn, power operated means energized for sequentially withdrawing the recording material from the storage means and feeding the recording material to the dispensing device, a housing enclosing the recording material having a selectively closed closure member, gear means drivingly connected to said closure member for powered movement thereof from a closed position to an open position exposing the recording material, lock means engageable with the gear means only in the closed position of the closure member, means responsive to withdrawal of the lock means from the gear means for momentarily enerizing the power operated means to withdraw a discrete portion of the recording material from the storage means, resettable means connected to the gear means and engageable by the power operated means when withdrawing the recording material from the storage means for moving the closure member to the open position, cycle control means operatively connected to the power operated means for terminating energization thereof upon delivery of the discrete portion of the recording material to the dispensing device, and means responsive to engagement of said lock means upon selective closing of said closure member and resetting of the resettable means for energizing said power operated means for a period terminated by the cycle control means to feed said recording material to the dispensing device.

2. A material handling device for receiving information on recording medium stored therewithin comprising, a housing having a closure member mounted for movement between a closed position and an open position, means mounted within the housing for exposing a portion of the recording medium through the housing when the closure member is in the open position, lock means for holding the closure member in the closed position, power operated means operatively connected to the lock means for sequential release and powered displacement of the closure member to said open position, a conveyor movable through said housing, displacing means operatively connected to said power operated means and responsive to selective movement of the closure member from said open position to said closed position for displacing said exposed portion of the recording medium to a transfer position, and dispensing means rendered operative by the power operated means for transferring the exposed portion of the recording medium onto the conveyor fromthe transfer position, said recording medium comprising a plurality of precut card portions, card storage means fixedly mounted within the housing, said displacing means comprising, an angularly displaceable carrier member mounting the means for exposing a portion of the recording medium in the form of a precut card portion and cam-operated drive means for displacing said carrier member to said transfer position adjacent the card storage means, said dispensing means including ejector means movable into the card storage means for displacement of a card portion therefrom, and means drivingly connecting said ejector means to the cam-operated drive means for movement thereof when the carrier member is in the transfer position to displace said card portion from the storage means into the exposing means thereby ejecting the exposed card portion onto the conveyor.

3. A material handling device for receiving information on recording medium stored therewithin comprising, a housing having a closure member mounted for move ment between a closed position and an open position, gear means engageable with said closure member for movement thereof to the open position exposing the recording medium, lock means engageable with said gear means to hold the closure member in the closed position, cam means operatively engageable with the gear means to effect movement of the closure member in one direction only toward the open position, motor means drivingly connected to the cam means for operation thereof when energized, control means operatively connected to the lock means and the motor means for sequential disengagement of the lock means and energization of the motor means to move the closure member to the open position, means responsive to reengagernent of the lock means following manual movement of the closure member to the closed position for reenergizing the motor means, displacing means driven by the motor means when energized and reenergized for sequentially displacing a portion of the recording medium to and from position of exposure and dispensing means driven by the motor means when reenergized for dispensing said portion of the recording medium in response to displacement from the exposure position.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said recording medium comprises a plurality of precut cards, card storage means fixedly mounted within the housing, said displacing means comprising, an angularly displaceable carrier member having a card exposing window, reciprocable drive means drivingly connecting said carrier member to the motor means for angular displacement of the carrier member to a transfer position adjacent the card storage means, said dispensing means including ejector means movable into the card storage means for displacement of a card therefrom, and means drivingly connecting said ejector means to the motor means for movement thereof when the carrier member is in the transfer position to replace the card exposed through the window in the carrier member, and conveyor means for receiving the ex posed card ejected from the carrier member upon replacement thereof.

5. The combination of claim 3 wherein said recording medium is a continuous sheet of material, said displacing means including material feeding means drivingly connected to the motor means, said dispensing means comprising, cutter means for severing a portion of the sheet material and conveyor means for receiving the severed portion of the sheet material.

' 6. The combination of claim 3 wherein said control means comprises, a lock withdrawing solenoid energized to disengage the lock means, first switch means operatively connected to the motor means for energization thereof when the solenoid device is energized, second switch means operatively connected to the motor means for energization thereof when the lock means is engaged with the gear means in the closed position of the closure member, and a cycle control device operatively connected to the motor means to prevent energization thereof by the second switch means until the motor means has been energized by the first switch means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,266,825 12/41 Streckfuss.

2,596,230 5/52 Prick.

2,701,662 2/55 Smith.

2,730,817 1/56 Blattner -36 2,785,388 3/57 McWhirter et a1. 340-1462 X 2,854,116 .9/58 Gray 194-10 2,877,846 3/59 Tobey 250-219 X 2,928,074 3/60 Sutter 340-1463 2,950,799 8/60 Timms 340-1463 X 2,957,567 10/60 Doud 282-16 X 2,964,734 12/60 West 340-1463 2,963,789 1/61 Weiss et a1. 340-1463 2,978,675 4/61 Highleyman 340-1463 3,111,646 11/63 Harmon 340-1463 OTHER REFERENCES Publication: Handwriting Reader by Leon D. Marmon, Electronics, Aug. 24, 1962, pages 29-31.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner.

NEIL C. READ, Examiner. 

1. IN A COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISM FOR HANDLING RECORDING MATERIAL, THE COMBINATION OF A CONTINUOUSLY MOVING CONVERYOR, A DISPENSING DEVICE OPERATIVELY POSITIONED RELATIVE TO THE CONVEYOR FOR DEPOSITING DISCRETE PORTIONS OF SAID RECORDING MATERIAL ONTO THE CONVEYOR, STORAGE MEANS FROM WHICH THE RECORDING MATERIAL IS WITHDRAWN, POWER OPERATED MEANS ENERGIZED FOR SEQUENTIALLY WITHDRAWING THE RECORDING MATERIAL FROM THE STORAGE MEANS AND FEEDINT THE RECORDING MATERIAL TO THE DISPENSING DEVICE, A HOUSING ENCLOSING THE RECORDING MATERIAL HAVING A SELECTIVELY CLOSED CLOSURE MEMBER, GEAR MEANS DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO SAID CLOSURE MEMBER FOR POWERED MOVEMENT THEREOF FROM A CLOSED POSITION TO AN OPEN POSITION EXPOSING THE RECORDING MATERIAL, LOCK MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE GEAR MEANS ONLY IN THE CLOSED POSITION OF THE CLOSURE MEMBER, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO WITHDRAWAL OF THE LOCK MEANS FROM THE GEAR MEANS FOR MOMENTARILY ENERGIZING THE POWER OPERATED MEANS TO WITHDRAWN A DISCRETE PORTION OF THE RECORDING MATERIAL FROM THE STORAGE MEANS, RESETTABLE MEANS CONNECTED TO THE GEAR MEANS AND ENGAGEABLE BY THE POWER OPERATED MEANS WHEN WITHDRAWING THE RECORDING MATERIAL FROM THE STORAGE MEANS FOR MOVING THE CLOSURE MEMBER TO THE OPEN POSITION, CYCLE CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE POWER OPERATED MEANS FOR TERMINATING ENERGIZATION THEREOF UPON DELIVERY OF THE DISCRETE PORTION OF THE RECORDING MATERIAL OF THE DISPENSING DEVICE, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO ENGAGEMENT OF SAID LOCK MEAN UPON SELECTIVE CLOSING OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER AND RESETTING OF THE RESETTABLE MEANS FOR ENERGIZING SAID POWER OPERATED MEANS FOR A PERIOD TERMINATED BY THE CYCLE CONTROL MEANS TO FEED AND RECORDING MATERIAL TO THE DISPENSING DEVICE. 